FUNDRAISERS who know the benefits of specialist eye care have raised more than £84,000 for a new scanner.

James Cook University Hospital’s retinal development appeal has got off to a strong start, thanks to staff members from the South Tees Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust, as well as patients.

Donations have come from a wide range of events, from a coffee morning at Stokesley Methodist Church to a speed dating event for Teesside University

students.

Marie Lozman, the trust’s E-communications officer, was joined by family members Margaret Levy, Andrew Levy, Dave Lozman and Paula Wensley for a hike up Ben Nevis - the highest mountain in Britain - to raise more than £1,100.

She was keen to support the appeal after undergoing urgent eye surgery at the hospital for a detached retina two years ago.

“You take your eyes for granted until something goes wrong but the team at James Cook were amazing," she said.

“The consultant diagnosed the problem, told me he could fix it and operated the next day.

“The care I received was fantastic so when we heard about the appeal we knew this was what we wanted to walk up Ben Nevis for.”

The appeal aims to raise funds for an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanner, which produces detailed cross-sectional and 3D images of the eye

to help clinicians quickly diagnose sight threatening conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Kay Henderson, the senior ophthalmic science practitioner who is co-ordinating the appeal, said: “This is a fantastic start.

“The support we have had from all our patients has been overwhelming."

To donate visit www.justgiving.com/eyescannerappeal/ or text SCAN51 and the amount to 70070.